Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of Maya’s apartment, mirroring the tempest brewing inside her. She stared at the patent application, the glossy paper a hateful sheen. Someone else. Someone else had beaten her to it, stolen her idea for a sustainable energy generator, and filed first. The realization had punched the air from her lungs.

She closed her eyes, trying to conjure the enthusiasm she'd felt just last week. The thrill of discovery, the conviction that she could change the world. Gone. Replaced by a cold, heavy weight. She pictured the smug face of the patent holder, probably some faceless corporation, and the fury welled up in her throat, choking her.

She picked at a loose thread on her sofa, the rhythmic tearing a small act of defiance. The world felt muffled, distant. The vibrant colors of her apartment had faded to shades of gray. The energy generator, lying abandoned on her drafting table, seemed to mock her.